Justification:
Despite Abies mariesii being restricted to high elevations, its distribution and regeneration appear to guarantee the survival of this species, so that it is therefore not considered threatened under the Red List Criteria. There is no evidence of a current threat to the species, hence it is assessed as Least Concern.

A species of the high mountain sides and ridges in the upper montane and subalpine zones, occurring commonly between 1,000 m and 2,800 m a.s.l. (as low as 750 m in N Honshu). The soils are mostly derived from volcanic rock, usually podzolic and slightly acid or neutral, well drained, and moderately moist (mesic). The climate is cold, with abundant winter snow and cool, moist summers, the annual precipitation exceeds 2,000 mm in the mountains nearest to the Sea of Japan. Frequent typhoons are a destructive force reducing the maximum age of trees. Abies mariesii forms sometimes pure forests near the tree line, but is more common in mixed (coniferous) forests with e.g. Abies veitchii, Tsuga diversifolia, Picea jezoensis var. hondoensis and/or undergrowth of Pinus pumila and Juniperus communis var. nipponica, the latter two especially abundant on ridgetops. Common broad-leaved trees are Betula ermanii, Sorbus commixta, and Acer spp. In many previously disturbed areas with deep, fine textured soil, e.g. volcanic ash, there is a dense cover of small bamboo (Sasa paniculata and S. nipponica), which excludes most other plants (Franklin et al. 1979).

This species of fir has little value as a timber tree because it grows at high altitude and mostly in inaccessible localities. In horticulture it is rather uncommon despite its attractive dark green foliage leaves and contrasting white stomatal bands underneath. It is not at all tolerant of droughts and performs best in cool, wet conditions but on light, well-drained soils. It is mostly restricted to collections in botanic gardens and arboreta.